Pressure-controlling valve.



F. A. LOGKWOOD.

PRESSURE CONTROLLING VALVE.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

957,51 1 a I Patented May 10,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. A. LOGKWOOD.

PRESSURE CONTROLLING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, mos.

Patented May 10, 1910.

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INVENTOR'.

M m an M W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. LOCKWOOD, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE.DENVER ENGINEE ING WORKS 00., A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

PRESSURE-CONTROLLING VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1909. Serial No. 499,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK-A. LOCKWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure-Controlling Valves, of which the following is a specification. 7

My present invention relates to pressure controlling valves, and particularly to valves intended to control the application and release of brakes on steam hoists and similar mechanisms.

The object of the invention is the construction of a valve which shall control directly the pressure in the brake cylinder or other similar mechanism,-this pressure being approximately proportional to the pressure on the control lever, the valve being subject simultaneously to the force applied by the control lever and to the pressure exlsting in the controlled mechanism, the valve functioning both to admit fluid to this mechanism or release it therefrom.

The device is applicable to a large range of purposes, but as stated it is particularly adapted for the controlling of fluid operated brakes for hoists.

Heretofore it has been customary so to arrange the valve gear in such braking mechanism'that a given movement of the control lever would produce a corresponding movement of the brake piston regardless of the pressure exerted to secure such movement. By my device a given movement of the control lever produces a corresponding change of pressure in the brake cylinder, the movement of the brake piston accommodating itself to the conditions.

The advantages secured by my device are a more flexible and ready control, in that the braking action corresponding to a given position of the control lever is constant or approximately so. Also in case of eccentricity or irregularity of the brake drum the devices will readily ada t themselves, the piston moving slightly without affecting to any extent the valve mechanism. In the usual structure such motion immediately afl'ects the valve mechanism and causes unsatisfactory action.

To the attainment of the above named desirable properties and certain other advantages which Will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts now to be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved valve mechanism with the piping connections to a brake cylinder illustrated diagrammatically; Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the valve mechanism, the plane of section being taken on the line aa of Fi 1; Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional elevation of the valve mechanism on the line bb of Fig. 2; and Fi 4:, is a longitudinal sectional view of a mo ified form of the apparatus adapted to other purposes, later to be described.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 is the brake cylinder to be controlled. It is obvious that a plurality of such cylinders might be contro ed by one valve since it is merely a question of pressure to be produced in such cylinders. The cylinders, moreover, may be of an desirable type, the braking mechanism being constructed in any of the well known forms for this purpose.

2 is the casing of the valve and 3 is a bushing or liner forced therein and'forming the valve seat.

4 is a tightly fitting head closingone end of the valve chamber and 5,- is a head closing the other end and having an opening for the passage of the valve rod 6 forming an extension of the valve member 7 slidlng within the bushing or valve seat 3. This member 7 is provided with suitable packing rings or grooves 8. The valve seat or bushing has formed in it three ports. Of these ports 9 is the admission port, and port 10 the exhaust port, 9 being connected by plplng to the source of steam or compressed air and 10 being open directly to the atmosphere. Port 11 is connected as shown to the brake cylinder or cylinders. The valve member 7 is preferably cylindrical in form with a reduced middle portion. It is so proportioned that in its mid-position it will blank off or close the ports 9 and 10, but when displaced to the left from the mid-position will conmeet the port 9 to port 11, thus effecting the moving of this lever 20 to its extreme communication between the source of fluid under ressure and the brake cylinder, and when isplacedto the'right from the midposition will connect port 10 to port 11, thus connecting the brake cylinder to the atmos phere or whatever other exhaust connection is provided. The space to the right of 7 is vented at 3. A port or passage 12, shown in Fig. 2, passes through valve member 7, and places chamber 13, which is that portion of the valve chamber behind the left end of the valve, in communication with port 11, and causes the pressure in port 11 and chamber 13 to equalize. This ort might equally well be formed in the shefl 2, its purpose being merely to equalize the pressure between port 11 and chamber 13. The effect of this equalization of pressure between 11 and 13 is to cause the.pressure existing in 11 to urge valve 7 to the right and since the pressure in 11 is practically the same asthe pressure in the brake cylinder, this tendency of valve 7 to move to the right is directly proportional to the pressurein the brake cylinder. Fastened to the end of valve rod 6 is a spring abutment 14 against which bears one end of spring 15', whose other end bears against abutment l6carried on the sliding rods 17 mounted in guides 18 which in turn are carried on or cast integrally with the valve shell 2. The motion of these sliding rods is parallel to that of the valve rod 6. The abutment 16 is connected by links 19 to a hand lever 20. Thus the movement of the hand lever 20 to the left compresses spring 15 and thereb increases the resistance olfered to valve which is urged to the right by the pressure in the brake cylinder acting through ports 11 and 12. A movement of hand lever 20 to the right has the opposite effect.

Now since movement of the valve 7 to the left tends to admit pressure to the brake cylinder and movement to the right to relieve it therefrom, it is obvious that an increased tendency to hold valve 7 to the left will require a greater pressure in brake cylinder 1 before this pressure can force valve7 to the right to a closing position. Assuming now that the valve has so closed, it is obvious that a partial release of pressure on spring 15 will allow the pressure in the brake cylinder to force valve 7 to the right, opening port 10 and relieving the pressure in 1 until it has fallen to such a point that valve 7 will be forced to the left to a closed position.

'Thus it will be seen that the pressure produced in brakecylinder l is directly proportional to the pressure exerted on hand lever 20, (neglecting effects of friction of valve 7 which is slight). I am thus able to control and vary the pressurein the brake cylinder throughout its range or entirely to remove it by the manipulation of a single lever, for

in this case isshown as formed in the valve shell. Instead of the spring 15 and the mechanism for varying its tension, I form on' the end of valve 7 a piston 21' sliding inthe chamber 22. The space on the left side of this piston is vented to the atmosphere at 23, and that on the other side is connected so .as to receive fluid under pressure. By varying the pressure of this fluid a variable resistance to the motion of valve 7 toward the right is presented, the apparatus otherwise functioning in the same manner as previously described with regard to the lever control. By this arrangement if the area of the piston 21 is properly selected one might control the operationof the valve by blowing into chamber 22. In this manner the apparatus might be used for controlling the blowing of glass by compressed air or for similar purposes.

By the peculiar construction adopted I am enabled to secure a pressure controlling valve subject simultaneously to the pressure in the controlleddevice and to the force exerted upon the controlling lever. The device not only operates to admit fluid to the device when the pressure is below that desired, but will also vent to the atmosphere in excess of pressure in the controlled device above that desired. The pressure in the controlled device may be determined accurately and is approximately proportional to the force exerted upon the controlling lever. Moreover,

the device is simple in construction, and capable of cheapmanufacture, since it dispenses entirely with differential pistons, or pistons of different diameters, and since the number of working parts is reduced to the possible minimum. The range of control by the device varies from zero pressure in the controlled device to the maximum pressure furnished by the supply.

The formation of the bypass or pressure equalizing passage 12 in the valve member 7, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is of course notessential to the successful functioning of the de vice, but this construction, by simplifying the patterns for the castings, is important from the point of economical manufacture.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is:

1. A valve mechanism comprising a casing having a closed end, and provided with admission and exhaust ports, and with a third port adapted to be connected to a conwithin said casing, 1

sports; a passage leading through one of sai pistons and establishing communication between the closed end portion of said valve chamber and the intermediate portion of said valve member; and means :for applying a variable opposition to the movement of said valve member.

' 2.-A valve mechanism comprisin a casing having a closed end, and provi ed with admission and exhaust ports, and with a third ort adapted to be connected to a controlled device; a .valve member slidable within .said casing, comprising two pistons with an intermediate portion adapted to communicate with each of the ports; a passage leading through one of said pistons and establishing communication between the closed end portion of said valve chamber and the intermediate portion of said valve member; and a spring opposing the movement of said valve member.

3. A valve mechanism comprisin a casing having a closed end, and provi ed with admission and exhaust ports, and with a third port adapted to be connected to a controlled device; a valve member slidable within said casing, comprising two pistons with an intermediate portion adapted to communicate with each of the (ports; a passage leading through one of sai pistons and establishing communication between the closed end portion of said valve chamber and the intermediate portion of said valve; a

spring opposing the movement of said valve member; and means for varyingthe stress on said spring.

4. A controlling valve mechanism for fluid pressure controlled devices comprising in combination a valve chamber, closed at one end, andprovided with admission and exhaust ports, and with a third ort adapted to be connected to the controlled device, and located intermediate said admission and exhaust ports; a close fitting valve .member movable in said valve chamber and consisting of end portions, and a reduced middle portion adapted to connect the said third port successively with the admission port and the exhaust port, and one of said end portions havin a assage connecting the space about said re uced middle portion of the valve member with the space at the closed end of said valve chamber; and means for applying an elastic pressure urging said valve member toward the closed end of said valve chamber.

5. A controlling valve mechanism for fluid pressure controlled devices comprising in combination avalve chamber, closed at one end, and provided with admission and ate vportion adapted toexhaustports', and with a third port adapted to be connected to the controlled device, and

located intermediate said admission and exhaust orts; a close fitting valve member movab e in said valve chamber and consisting of end portions and a reduced middl70 portion adapted to connect the said third port successively withthe' admission and'the exhaust port, and one of said end portions having a passage connecting the space about said reduced middle portion of the valve member to the space at the closed end of said valve chamber; a sprmg urgin said 7 valve member toward the closed end 0 said valve chamber; and means for varying the stress on said spring.

6. A controlling valve for fluid pressure operated devices comprising in combination, a valve chamber having a closed end; an

admission port formed in said chamber; an

chamber and fitting closely to the walls thereof said valve connecting said third port wlth said admission port when in one position and the said third port with said exhaust port when in' another position; a by pass adapted to establish communication between said third port and the space at the closed end of said valve chamher; and means for applyin a variable opposition to the motion of sai valve member.

7 A controlling valve for fluid pressure operated devices comprising in combination, a valve chamber having a closed end; an admission port formed in said chamber; an exhaust port formed in said chamber; a third port formed in said chamber and adapted to be connected to the controlled device; a valve member slidable in said chamber and fitting closely to the walls thereof, said valve connecting said third port with said admission port when in one position and the said third port with said exhaust port when in another position; a by pass adapted to establish communication between said third port and the space at the closed end of said valve chamber; a spring opposing the motion of said valve member; and means for varying the stress on said spring.

8. A controlling valve for fluid pressure operated devices comprising in combination, a valve chamber; a valve seat in said chamher; an admission port formed in said seat; an exhaust port formed in said seat; a third port formed in said seat and adapted to be connected to the controlled device; a valve sliding on said seat and connecting said third port to said admission ort when in one position v and said t ird port to said exhaust port when in another position, said valve being so subject to 4 the pressure in the third port that said In testimony whereof I have signed my pressure urges said valve member toward name to this specification in the presence of the second named position; a rod carried on two SllbSCllblIlg witnesses. said valve member; a spring abutment carried on said rod; longitudinal guides; a sec- I FRANK A. LOCKWOOD. ond spring abutment carried on said guides;

mechanism for moving said second spring Witnesses:

abutment; and a spring interposed between LEWIS SEARING,

said abutments. LYMAN P. HAMMOND. 

